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Why Tim Russert's death is important
It's not the lavish coverage, or tributes, some of which were due. Josh Marshall hit it squarely in his poignant post here. There is a much deeper issue to ponder, and the MSM is busy with blades of grass.
This isn't to say that Russert didn't deserve the accolades and praise. With the power and reach of the media, it should be kept short; the media should more quickly move on to the big picture.
Heart disease is the cause of death for more than one in about 4 Americans who die this year. It's an experience millions of us have experienced or faced. It's the visceral reason people identify with the story, excessive or not.
A couple years ago I heard the president of Costa Rica and Nobel Prize winner Oscar Sanchez speak; one of his primary themes was this very issue, and what it reflected on our society - that we had lost touch with our hearts, and this was a major sign.
If this year's theme is change, then looking at the #1 cause of death and asking what we as individuals and as a society can do about it - differently than what is done now - is worth the media coverage.
As TPM is an election/public policy site, what public policies will help?
Comments (3)
I've got an idea about why Tim Russert was important - because he had family & friends who loved him and he loved back and he made a difference. Don't overanalyze this tragedy.
Sometimes a cigar is a cigar...
June 17, 2008 3:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I respectfully suggest that most people can easily avert heart disease by eating well and exercising. But some people, regardless of lifestyle, will die from heart disease because of innate heart flaws. That's life.
Public policies cannot help people who don't help themselves. People whose lifestyle choices put them at risk for heart disease must nurture a philosophical acceptance of the possibility of early death.
One of the biggest causes of our health care mess is the mistaken belief that doctors and drugs can fix all problems. The medical industry vigorously promotes that BS. I would like to see a federal ban on drug ads, and an end to drug company subsidies.
June 17, 2008 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Public policies cannot help people who don't help themselves."
That is, and always will be true. WRoss hit two big keys here - lifestyle and exercise.
One of the things we are not doing now is educating the public about nutrition and exercise. In my high school, there were no required health classes. The last one was in 7th grade. That was in the early 80's; now there are even fewer. We recently had children, and asked several of our physicians if they were required to take nutrition classes. The answer: no. Contrast that to other countries such as Japan or France, and what will you find?
So if we don't require this kind of education, how will we learn nutrition? Currently, it would appear this comes from food and drug companies. Is it working?
June 17, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
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